The purpose of this study was to examine preservice science teachers’ experiences with repeated scientific inquiry (SI) activities. The National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996) stress students should understand and possess the abilities to do SI. For students to meet these standards, science teachers must understand and be able to perform SI; however, previous research demonstrated that many teachers have naïve understandings in this area. Teacher preparation programs provide an opportunity to facilitate the development of inquiry understandings and abilities. In this study, preservice science teachers had experiences with two inquiry activities that were repeated three times each. The research questions for this study were (a) How do preservice science teachers’ describe their experiences with repeated, guided inquiry activities? (b) What are preservice science teachers’ understandings and abilities of SI? This study was conducted at a large, urban university in the southeastern United States. The 5 participants had bachelor’s degrees in science and were enrolled in a graduate science education methods course. The researcher was one of the course instructors but did not lead the activities. Case study methodology was used. Data was collected from a demographic survey, an open-ended questionnaire with follow-up interviews, the researcher’s observations, participants’ lab notes, personal interviews, and participants’ journals. Data were coded and analyzed through chronological data matrices to identify patterns in participants’ experiences. The five domains identified in this study were understandings of SI, abilities to conduct SI, personal feelings about the experience, science content knowledge, and classroom implications. Through analysis of themes identified within each domain, the four conclusions made about these preservice teachers’ experiences with SI were that the experience increased their abilities to conduct inquiry, increased their understanding of how they might use SI in their classroom, increased their understanding of why variables are used in experiments, and did not increase their physics content knowledge. These conclusions suggest that preservice science teachers having repeated, guided experiences with inquiry increase their abilities to conduct SI and consider how inquiry could be used in their future science classrooms.

Thesis advisor: Marilyn Cochran-Smith / In this critical ethnography I examined Teach First, the U.K. teacher education program modeled after Teach For America (TFA). Teach First described itself as "a unique business-led programme dedicated to addressing educational disadvantage by placing elite graduates in the schools that need them most" (Teach First, 2010). Teach First was thus problematically positioned at the crossroads of both neoliberal and progressive ideologies. My research addressed this problem by uncovering Teach First's theory of teacher education for social justice by applying a framework developed by Marilyn Cochran-Smith (2010) to interviews, observations, and artifacts that I collected at the 2008 Teach First Summer Institute. I then critiqued this theory using the tools of "Policy Sociology," a British research tradition that examines the political, ideological, and economic assumptions that drive education policy. My research led me to identify Teach First as a "progressive neoliberal" (Lahann and Reagan, in press) organization which is driven entirely by a theory of teacher education for social justice based on the idea of justice as distribution. This theory explains why the staff of Teach First appreciated the organization to have a mission of social justice while at the same time endorsing and promoting neoliberal policies which conflict with many theories of teacher education for social justice that draw from theories of justice as recognition. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

Low health literacy in parents has been linked to increased obesity risk for their children. When providing information to patients with low health literacy, teach-back (TB) and teach-to-goal (TTG) methods are recommended, but no studies have examined the degree to which TB/TTG strategies can be implemented with fidelity in community-based programs. A study was conducted to determine if type of delivery staff (community or research) is related to implementation fidelity; the degree to which TB/TTG methods are necessary for parent/caregiver understanding of childhood obesity learning objectives; and if baseline parent/caregiver health literacy level is related to support call response. Ninety-four families with overweight/obese children aged 8-12 years were enrolled in a pilot childhood obesity intervention that included 6 bi-weekly parent/caregiver support calls integrating TB/TTG methods into a 5 A's approach. Research partners (n=2) delivered all calls in Wave 1. During Waves 2 and 3, community staff (n=5) delivered a majority of calls with training and support from research staff. ). Average completion rate across calls was 62% and did not differ according to participant health literacy level. Community partners were more likely than research partners to complete calls with participants (68% versus 57%), but this trend was not significant. Both research and community partners adhered to call scripts with high fidelity (97% versus 98%). A significant main effect of health literacy level on TB/TTG performance was found for Call 1 and Call 3 during Wave 1 and for Call 1 during Waves 2 and 3 of iChoose (p<0.05, 0.01, and 0.05). An interaction effect of health literacy level and question number was found for Call 3 during Wave 1 only (p<0.05). For all calls in which TB/TTG performance differed significantly by health literacy level, participants with adequate health literacy were found to have better performance. Following the program, participants expressed they felt satisfied and comfortable with follow-up calls (9.1 (2.0) and 9.5 (1.2) on a 10-point scale), while agreeing that calls helped improve their eating and PA habits (8.1 (2.6) and 7.5 (2.7)) and helped them learn class material better (8.1 (2.7)). Trained community partners were able to deliver the same support call content with similarly high fidelity, completion, and acceptability. Although participant baseline health literacy level had less impact on the need for TB/TTG and on program perception than we anticipated, our findings open up different possibilities to utilize these strategies while using precious resources more efficiently. / Master of Science / Low health literacy – meaning a limited capacity to access and understand basic health information that is needed to make suitable health decisions – has been linked to a plethora of poor health behaviors and outcomes, including increased obesity risk for the children of low health literate parents. When sharing information to patients with low health literacy, teach-back (TB) and teach-to-goal (TTG) methods are recommended in which health care professionals ask patients to repeat instructions or explain key concepts using their own words and then re-instruct patients as needed until they master these concepts. No studies thus far have examined the degree to which TB/TTG strategies can be implemented with fidelity – meaning adherence to protocol and competence in delivery – in community-based programs. A study was conducted to determine if type of delivery staff (community or research) is related to implementation fidelity; the degree to which TB/TTG methods are necessary for parent/caregiver understanding of learning objectives in a program to improve health-related behaviors; and if baseline parent/caregiver health literacy level is related to support call response. Ninety-four families with overweight/obese children aged 8-12 years were enrolled in a pilot childhood obesity intervention that included 6 bi-weekly parent/caregiver support calls integrating TB/TTG methods into an evidenced-based 5 A's approach for behavioral change. Research partners delivered all calls in Wave 1 of the pilot trial, while community staff delivered a majority of calls during Waves 2 and 3 with ongoing training and support from research staff. Average completion rate across calls was 62% and did not differ according to participant health literacy level. Community partners were more likely than research partners to complete calls with participants (68% versus 57%), but this difference was not significant (it may have been due to chance). Both research and community partners followed guided call scripts with high fidelity. The health literacy level of participants at the start of the program was associated with TB/TTG performance during calls, but this effect was limited to only a few calls. In all of these instances, participants with the higher level of health literacy (adequate) were found to have better TB/TTG performance. Following the program, participants expressed they felt satisfied and comfortable with follow-up calls, while agreeing that calls helped improve their eating and physical activity habits and helped them learn class material better. Trained community partners were able to deliver the same support call content with similarly high fidelity, completion, and acceptability. Although participant baseline health literacy level had less impact on the need for TB/TTG and on program perception than we anticipated, our findings open up different possibilities to utilize these strategies while using precious resources more efficiently.

This project describes the development of microbiology laboratory exercises to be used in the teaching of first year undergraduates. One of the main goals of this project, is to try to make these laboratory exercises relevant to the life of local communities. Two local communities were chosen in the Hamilton area. The communities of Hamilton Beach and Dundas were involved and their water was tested for the presence of faecal coliform bacteria. The design of these laboratory exercises includes relevant aspects of educational theory intended to stimulate the students' interests in Biology and, simultaneously, strengthen the relationship between the students and their local communities. The main conclusions drawn from this project are: 1. The primary objectives established for the course seem to have been fulfilled. 2. The majority of the students considered these laboratory exercises to be socially and educationally relevant. 3. It is important to stimulate dialogue amongst the students. 4. It is desirable to make educational programs immediately relevant to the lives and the experiences of the students. / Thesis / Master of Science (Teaching)

Educational partnerships surged in the 1980s, and saw an equally substantive increase in research about these relationships. However, not all aspects of these partnerships have been examined and as a result there are gaps in the literature. A thorough literature review confirmed that in fact there was no research specifically about partnerships between traditional schools of education and non-traditional teacher training organizations. After identifying the specific partnerships to study, I collected documents, held a conference that included focus groups, administered a survey, and conducted individual interviews. I was also provided existing survey data from the partners. I coded the qualitative data to find themes across the partnerships. At the same time, I created an evaluation rubric that was used to determine the effectiveness of each partnership based on the characteristics found in each. After reviewing the data and coding it thematically, I found three common factors that existed in the various partnerships. These factors of communication, commitment, and evaluation emerged as the primary drivers of or barriers to, the success of the partnership. These characteristics are exhibited in different ways and to different degrees in each partnership. Using the data to uncover these factors, I developed a rubric that can be used to determine their existence within a partnership. This research provides guidance and a method of evaluation for similar new partnerships across the country. It aids in their development and supports their continual improvement. Simultaneously, the rubric and research should help existing partnerships improve their current relationships and collaboration.

Health literacy is recognized as a contributor to health outcomes and maternal health literacy is important to the health and wellbeing of children and families. Of particular interest are mothers seeking immunization services for their children. The complexity of the recommended immunization schedule and the care management of children receiving immunizations have the potential to create negative health outcomes in the low health literate population. Assessment of maternal health literacy and provision of effective patient education adapted to the health literacy level of the individual is important for information transfer. The Teach-Back provides an opportunity to both assess understanding and reinforce teaching. This study used an experimental design to study two groups of women for a total of 90 participants in a public health department setting. The control group received the usual immunization patient education using Vaccination Information Sheets. The intervention group also received patient education in this manner plus use of the Teach-Back. Immunization knowledge was assessed prior to and after patient education. Immunization currency was assessed as well. The Newest Vital Sign was used to assess the maternal health literacy for 90 mothers bringing their children for immunizations. A demographic survey addressing both individual characteristics and social determinants of health variables was also administered. Most of the participants were low health literate (84%) and low health literacy was related to lower immunization knowledge and poor immunization currency. Social determinants of health variables were related to maternal health literacy, immunization knowledge and immunization currency. The results demonstrated an improvement of immunization knowledge scores with the use of the Teach-Back method of patient education. Additional research is needed in the area of patient education interventions specific to the low health literate population. The development of instruments to measure interactive and critical health literacy are needed and interventions to promote growth in health literacy are also needed. Clinically, improved patient education interventions for low health literate mothers has the potential to improve health outcomes and decrease health care costs of these women, their children and their families.

The evolution of person-centered healthcare reinforces the need for nursing to provide effective patient education. Literature suggests nurses desire to provide strong discharge education to patients, but are challenged by knowledge gaps and other barriers. This DNP project developed a plan for integrating teach-back on a 30-bed cardiac unit, focusing on heart failure patients. Following a logic model, the process improvement plan to implement teach-back includes education on teach-back, empowerment of unit champions to support the project and evaluation of effectiveness of the education plan and impact on heart failure patients. The sample size of 15 cardiac nurses provides a group representative of other cardiac units and allows for testing and data collection to support spread of the project. Collaboration with the unit leadership to sequence the implementation of the project will direct the timeline for execution and minimize competing priorities that could impede the success. Evaluation of the project takes into account the implementation processes that focus on resources such as education hours needed to implement and heart failure patient outcomes related to readmission rates. Pre- and post-implementation heart failure patient readmission rates as supplied by the site quality improvement team will be analyzed using ttest to correlate the education intervention on heart failure readmission rates. Nursing will drive improved patient outcomes and promote positive social change by using an evidence-based teaching methodology that allows for better patient understanding of how to manage their health. Empowered and better prepared heart failure patients enjoy autonomy with their health management and with reduced readmissions, decrease health care costs.

Through an exploratory qualitative, interpretive frame that employed an ethnographic methodological approach, this research focuses on teaching assistants (TAs) teaching in a lab, tutorial, or discussion group. Nine TAs share their learning journey as they begin teaching in higher education. The theoretical lens that frames this research is workplace learning. Interviews, observations, video-recordings, field notes, and learning diaries were subjected to thematic analysis, looking for dominant themes associated to TAs’ characteristics, their learning process related to teaching, and the knowledge they developed about teaching and student learning. Key findings include the recognition that TAs bring robust conceptions and dispositions to their first teaching position that is approached from a student subject position as they are becoming teachers. As TAs are being teachers, they control their self-directed learning process as they make decisions on-the-fly within a diverse learning environment that ranges from expansive to strategic to restrictive affordances. Coupled with a discretionary reflective practice, TAs’ knowledge development about teaching and student learning is solely dependent upon their experience, making forthcoming development of knowledge about teaching and student learning relegated to chance. This focus on TAs’ learning in the workplace illuminates the need for a deep learning approach to learning about teaching and student learning that needs to begin with graduate students’ first appointment as a TA. In addition, this deep learning approach needs to be encased in an expansive learning environment that provides opportunities for continuous support through various forms of mentorship, instruction, and development of reflective practice. / Graduate

I am inspired by the serendipitous connections to people, places, and things in the world around me. I approach art, much like my life, with an initial idea or plan, only to end up changing it. My pieces are records in the form of mixed media altered books that act as visual journals of my experiences. Phases of a 1st Year Teacher focuses on how I personally worked through these phases and attitudes my first year of teaching, and helped me to rediscover why I chose the teaching profession.

This research study investigated the effectiveness of a direct instruction program (Treatment 2) for increasing compliance with teachers' instructions in students for whom manipulation of conventional antecedent stimuli and consequences {Treatment 1) had not resulted in adequate compliance. Five students participated in this study. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate treatment effectiveness. Introduction of Treatment 2 was followed by an increase in compliance by all five participants. The relationship between compliance and other appropriate classroom behaviors, as well as the relationship between compliance and qualitatively good and qualitatively poor instructions, was also investigated. Those relationships were found to exist, but they were not as strong as had been reported in earlier studies. Generalization of participants' compliance with qualitatively good instructions across school staff occurred. With the exception of one participant, increases in compliance with qualitatively good instructions were maintained for up to eight weeks. Limitations of the present study and suggestions for future research are presented.